Join the B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Region on Sunday, August 25, from 10 AM to 12 NOON for a family oriented program supporting Project H.O.P.E.

Project H.O.P.E. — Help Our People Everywhere — is a community action project whose major goal is the collection and distribution of food packages to poor and elderly Jews during Passover. Many Jews who cannot afford special holiday foods depend on B'nai B'rith members to provide matzoh and the other Passover staples. To these people the remembrance is often as special as the needed food. Project H.O.P.E. works with the community family service agencies and local Jewish social services and with B'nai B'rith members and synagogue volunteers.

B´nai B´rith attended all the events celebrated in Paraguay August 15 - 16 that marked the Inauguration of President Horacio Cartes.The ceremony where Cartes pledged before the President of Congress was attended by 3,000 people and B'nai B'rith was invited to the restricted zone of special guests: Presidents, Congressmen, businessmen, Officers of International agencies, and other dignataries. President Cartes delivered a strong speech based in three principles: combating poverty will be his first priority; open door policies for investments in order to produce richness to help combating poverty; opening doors to deal with democratic governments of the region and outside the region. In the ceremony, the new Ministers pledged before the President. Eladio Loizaga, a diplomat, former Ambassador to UN became the Foreign Minister.There were two huge receptions, one hosted by the Foreign Minister and the ther by the President, and a breakfast for 500 guests hosted by the President and his Cabinet to expolain about "Paraguay, land of opportunities".B´nai B´rith had several bilateral conversations with Paraguay Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga; with Israeli Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Zeev Elkin; with Israeli Director for Latrin America of the Foreign Ministery Ambassador Itzhak Shoham; with Israeli Ambassador to Argentina and Paraguay Dorit Shavit; with Presidential Adviser of the Paraguayan President for Doreign Affairs Leila Raschid;with the leader of the majority in the Senate in Paraguay,former Vice President Luis Castiglioni;with Foreign Minister of Uruguay Luis Almagro;with Max Haber, who will be the Paraguayan Ambassador to Israel and will reopen that Embassy in less than a month; with several Congressmen from Uruguay and Paraguay; with former Presidents of Uruguay Luis Lacalle and Julio Sanguinetti; with businessmen, special guests of President Cartes from Europe, United States and South America.The reopening of the Paraguayan Embassy in Israel has brought the relations between both countries closer. The Paraguayan Government is interested in strengthening bilateral relations with Israel as well as pursuing an independent policy of supporting Israel in international forums, as opposed to the voting patterns of the vast majority of Latin American states. Paraguay and Colombia were the only South American countries that did not vote for granting the Palestinians non-member statehood status in the UN General Assembly last year.

When you're ready to go on your "great escape," what will the status of the Omaha's Eppley airfield be? Long lines? Security delays? Do Omahans even have to worry about the same problems as they do in LA, Boston, or New York?

These questions were answered by Steve Coufal during his third visit to B'nai B'rith Breadbreakers on August 14. As usual, he prepared a great PowerPoint presentation.

The program was free and an optional Kosher lunch was available for $11. It was open to the entire Omaha community.

Breadbreakers brings you the prominent and preeminent, the interesting, and the influential – each week. We’d love to have you participate and/or just observe.

Joel Kaplan (far left) and other members of B'nai B'rith leadership with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

B'nai B'rith of Monroe Township hosted a discussion with Joel Kaplan, who served as B'nai B'rith International President from 2002 - 2006, on Sunday, August 11, at 10 AM at the new Senior Center.

In addition to serving as a past-International President, Kaplan currently serves as the B'nai B'rith representative to the United Nations. At the discussion, Kaplan provided an update on B'nai B'rith's advocacy efforts at the U.N.

B'nai B'rith of Monroe Township includes the merged communities of Clearbrook, Concordia, and the Ponds.

Bringing together young leaders from numerous area synagogues and from the greater central/northern Jersey region, the B'nai B'rith Young Professional Network-N.J. hosted a free Shabbat dinner with other young professionals in the area at Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael in Springfield, N.J.

An optional service began at 6:30 and a Kosher dinner was served at 7:00.

The program was intended for young professionals between the ages of 22-33 and was co-sponsored by the B'nai B'rith International Young Professional Network and Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael.

The Summit Jewish Community Center & Congregation Beth Israel of Scotch Plains assisted in the Shabbat.